This Day in Dome History: January 21

Dwayne “Pearl” Washington hit his famous half-court shot with one second remaining to beat Boston College 75-73 on this date in 1984.

More than 30,000 people crammed into the Carrier Dome to watch the 12-3 Orange take on the Eagles. Syracuse entered the second half with a 43-36 lead, but quickly found itself battling a fierce BC run. Jay Murphy connected on a driving lay-up with 11:13 left on the clock to bring the Eagles within one, 60-59. Then, with 26 seconds to go, Sean Kerins went to the line and missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving Boston College the ball. On the ensuing play, Martin Clark fought his way into the lane and dropped in a lay-up to tie the game at 73.

With time about to expire, Washington launched a 45-foot bomb that swished through just before the buzzer to give Syracuse the win, 75-73. Washington was 8-of-10 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the line for a total of 20 points. He also had seven assists and three steals, and was honored as BIG EAST Rookie of the Week for his efforts.

In addition to his game-winning heroics, Washington’s 20 points were enough to make him Syracuse’s top freshman scorer, with 339 career points. The previous record-holder, Dale Shackleford, racked up 331 in his freshman campaign.

The Orange battled Villanova on this date in 1987 and came out on top, 72-66. Sherman Douglas dished out nine assists to go with his 14 points while Rony Seikaly managed a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

The 1999 season featured another Syracuse win against the Eagles, as the Orange soundly beat Boston College 73-56 to preserve an undefeated record on this date. Etan Thomas led all scorers with 25 points, in addition to pulling down nine rebounds. Ryan Blackwell and Jason Hart also reached double figures, with 15 points each.

More than 23.5 million people have passed through the revolving doors of the Carrier Dome since the building’s first public event on September 20, 1980. Throughout the 2005-06 SU athletics seasons the University will celebrate the first 25 years of the Loud House.

In the first 25 years of the Dome, more than 1,740 events were staged, including collegiate, professional and high school athletics events, University commencement, concerts, a circus, and community events. These activities are chronicled in the more than 100 photographs that are currently in the concourse of the Dome. Fans who attend events in the Dome can re-live the memories with these photos.

Syracuse University Athletics

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